We’re back for Season 2 of The Future With Friends, and we’re kicking things off by exploring the future of protest with special guest, journalist and soon-to-be author Kath Walters.

Kath brings decades of experience to the conversation. From her early days in the protest movements of the 1970s, to a career in journalism holding power to account, to now experimenting with AI and writing fiction about the future, she has spent a lifetime thinking about how stories shape the world we live in.

She shares a future scenario set in March 2035 in The Rocks, Sydney, where she stands among 500,000 people protesting for climate action alongside her daughter. But the real conversation goes far deeper than the scenario itself. Kath reflects on what would actually need to change between now and 2035 for a moment like that to happen, and why hopeful visions of the future can be just as powerful as dystopian ones in driving action.

Together, Kath and Simon explore the evolution of activism, the forgotten history of successful protest movements, and the role of writers, artists and storytellers in shaping what people believe is possible. They discuss strategy, community, joy, and why protest isn’t just about anger. It’s also about connection, creativity and reclaiming a sense of collective agency.

It’s an enlightening, engaging and energising conversation that will leave you thinking differently about protest and feeling far less powerless about the future.